A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! Thank you jediserenity82, ela11, Vorcha Girl and Vicky for your reviews on the last chapter. And thank you Vorcha Girl for making this chapter flow better!
Bioware owns Mass Effect.
Chapter 23. Xawin
The next morning brought a change in plans; instead of returning to the Citadel Shepard gave the order to set course for the Strenuus System to check a Missing Person Report.
MISSING PERSON REPORT
To the attention of Administrator Anoleis:
A man named Garoth is looking for information on the whereabouts of one of our freighters. He believes his brother's ship may have been attacked by privateers while traveling through the Strenuus system. Investigation pending.
They found the empty freighter MSV Majesty in orbit around the planet Xawin, with a radiation trail leading towards the planet. After confirming the freighter was abandoned Shepard ordered to follow the radiation leak and a short time later she, Kaidan and Garrus touched down on the planet's icy surface.
Freezing winds howled around the Mako and Shepard threw a careful look at the temperature indicator; it showed a surface temperature of -130° C. Hopefully they would not have to spend too much time outside. Sure, their armor gave a certain amount of protection against environmental hazards, but only over a very limited time.
Kaidan gave her the location of several mineral sites as well as a base and an active beacon. Nick decided to check the active beacon first and then continue to the base. As they approached the site of the beacon she slowed the Mako, and furrowed her brow. There was nothing to be seen.
"Lieutenant," she asked sharply, "are you sure about the coordinates?"
"Yes, ma'am." He sounded a little insulted as he stressed the word ma'am and Nick immediately felt bad for her sharp tone. Of course he knew what he was doing. If Kaidan said there was an active beacon at a certain set of coordinates then there was. He repeated the coordinates and she checked their position. The beacon should have been visible. Even in the inhospitable conditions outside.
She turned half in seat to look at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. Just … there is nothing. I don't like this. Stay frosty." She almost laughed at her own choice of words. "Garrus, be ready," she told the turian.
Both the marine and the former C-Sec officer nodded. She really did not have to remind them, but you could never be too careful.
Nick let the Mako inch forward, closer and closer to the position of the beacon. There! She saw something protruding out of the snow and altered her course a notch. No sooner did the Mako come within a ten meter radius of the beacon when Kaidan called out, "Hostiles!" He quickly gave them the number and positions of their tangos.
A trap. The damn beacon had been a trap.
Cursing, she accelerated as she evaded hostile fire. Were those geth? They looked different. She was aware of Garrus firing the Mako's machine gun and Kaidan giving him coordinates. Kaidan called out the position of a cluster of tangos and Garrus adjusted the firing solution for the cannon blasting the … geth? … synthetics?… into oblivion. Another shout from Kaidan warned them of more approaching opponents.
Nick swore loudly as the new enemy forces came into view. Those weren't geth. The Mako's virtual windows clearly showed a number of M35 Makos engaging them in ground battle.
Panzerkampf, she thought grimly.
She quickly maneuvered the Mako into a depression in order to hull down and avoid fire. She moved the Mako forward slowly, just far enough to peek over the edge of the depression, giving Garrus a good opportunity to give off a well-placed shot. As soon as he fired she let the Mako roll back, evading enemy fire. A few more well placed shots and all four hostile Makos were smoking ruins on the frozen surface of Xawin.
"Damn mercs and their damn synthetics," she muttered as she drove on. "Why would anyone set up a booby trap on a frozen rock like this? Which idiots would be stupid enough to land here?"
"You mean idiots like us?" Garrus ventured with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Kaidan snorted, but otherwise remained silent.
"Fuck. Off. Vakarian." Nick grinned as she maneuvered the Mako skillfully up an icy slope. "If it hadn't been for the freighter in orbit and that radiation trail leading here and a missing person report, I would have …"
"Ordered us to check out the beacon." Kaidan finished drily.
Garrus snickered.
"Ordered us to fly straight to the Citadel. We wouldn't even have been in this damn system." She turned her head to glare at them. "You should spend less time with smart-assed turians or gunnery chiefs, Alenko. Or snarky pilots. They have a bad influence on you. You're far too cute … " She clamped her mouth shut quickly.
"Hey Skipper, you do know the LT spends more time with you than all three of us put together, right?" Ashley's voice rang over the intercom. They heard Joker laughing quietly in the background. Obviously Ashley was listening to the ground team's radio feed with Joker.
"Aren't you on duty, Chief?" Shepard nearly groaned.
"Nope." The gunnery chief sounded smug. "And we all know just how cute you think the LT is. It's almost sickeningly sweet watching you two dance around each other. You should finally get it over with and ki -"
Nick flipped the comm switch off before Ashley could finish her sentence. She felt heat rising in her face and did not dare look at Kaidan. He was probably about as mortified as she was. Nick really hoped they weren't that obvious. Irritation rose within her. How dare Ashley say that over an open channel? Who knew who else was listening. Damn it, things like that had ruined careers before.
"Shepard, I have hostile contacts at eleven o'clock." Kaidan's voice was somber.
At least he keeps his head in the game.
Nick gave herself a little shake. Her face still burned with embarrassment and she was grateful that he managed to sound all business-like. She heard the whirring sound of the cannon's scope as Garrus began searching the perimeter. Nick slowed the Mako down, inching it up the ridge.
She saw them; turrets. Four heavy turrets and a handful of mercenaries.
Usually she would have parked the Mako on a lower ledge and set up position with her sniper rifle, but the less than friendly climate foiled that plan. Instead they used Garrus' proficiency with the mass-accelerator cannon, Kaidan's expertise with the radar, and her driving skills to evade and destroy the turrets.
"All clear," Kaidan stated as soon as the last hostile fell.
Nick drove the Mako as close to the entrance of the base as possible, reducing any time spent in the harsh climate of Xawin to a minimum.
Expecting immediate resistance, they cautiously entered the antechamber only to find it empty. Shepard gestured for Kaidan and Garrus to take up positions on the other side of the door as she got ready to open it. She glanced at them and punched the button.
The door slid open and the first thing she saw was a mercenary kneeling off to her left, pointing a weapon at the entrance. The mercenary called out a warning to his comrades just as Nick fired her shotgun at the explosives stockpiled next to him. The explosion ripped through the air, slamming the mercenary against the wall.
He did not get up again.
In the wake of the explosion she took cover behind a low wall a few meters in front of her, Kaidan and Garrus following her. The number of red dots lighting up her HUD was alarming. Apprehension left a sour taste in her mouth and she gripped her shotgun firmly.
You've faced worse odds.
The fight proved to be one of the toughest they had been involved in so far. The mercenaries were well-equipped and numerous. There was hardly a chance of advancing, so Shepard ordered her team to hold the half-wall in front of the entrance.
A krogan mercenary closed in on them and Kaidan Threw him back forcefully and he went down, but thanks to the Krogan's redundant nervous system he got up again. Nick saw Kaidan's omni-tool glow as he sent a tech attack after the Throw, obviously trying to strip the krogan of more energy.
She turned her back on the mercenaries in front of her. Kaidan and Garrus could take care of any frontal assaults. Instead she focused on the bastards that had managed to slip through and flank them.
There were so damn many.
After holding off several hostiles she was forced to hold fire while her shotgun cooled down. She waited anxiously and swore under her breath when the alarm of her hardsuit squad vitals monitor started blinking. She dared a quick glance at the lower corner of her helmet's HUD; Kaidan's shields were gone, Garrus's were low and they didn't look like they would have a ]chance to let them recharge. They needed to wrap this up quickly.
Nick turned towards Kaidan's position; he was bathed in the undulating blue of his biotic barrier when a mercenary tech mine exploded overhead, stripping his barrier to a minimum. There was no time to go to his aid as another mercenary came dangerously close to her, and she was forced to defend herself. With a sense of urgency she activated her omniblade and stabbed at the joint of her assailants armor. Her blade sliced through the more pliant part of the armor and into the flesh beneath. The space pirate slumped to the ground and she pulled her bloody blade from the body as the beeping of her hardsuit computer became more urgent.
There was a bright flash of blue followed by the orange glow of an omni-tool as Kaidan used a quick combination of biotics and tech. Then she saw the krogan charging at her lieutenant and her heart nearly stopped. There was no way Kaidan would be able to dodge that attack. Nick felt as though she were moving through sticky molasses as she brought up her shotgun and shot another privateer standing in her way.
She heard herself call out Kaidan's name in horror as the krogan crashed into him, sending him flying against the wall. The red bar in her hardsuit computer showing his vital signs flashed and went dark.
No!
Nick became aware of Garrus rushing towards Kaidan's position while she fought off another mercenary. She ducked under the blow that was aimed at her and spun, smashing the butt of her shotgun into her opponent's face with force. The bar showing Kaidan's vitals remained dark.
Nonono! Not Kaidan. No.
She saw Garrus move between some crates, firing his assault rifle at the krogan keeping him at bay, when a single shot rang out. The turian grunted with pain as the impact twisted him half around, but he managed to take cover behind another box. Nick cast a worried look in his direction. Garrus waved her off, gesturing towards Kaidan as he readied a tech mine with his omni-tool.
Nick's chest constricted with fear as she skidded to a halt next to Kaidan. Several well-placed shots with her shotgun did away with the krogan and heard Garrus firing his rifle. She didn't pay much more attention to it, and instead kept her focus on her fellow soldier lying motionless on the ground. She pulled a gauntlet off and felt for a pulse.
Nick nearly sobbed with relief when she found a pulse. He had only been knocked out cold. The collision must have damaged his hardsuit's internal surveillance system, or at least the feed that was shared with the other members of the shore party. She administered a dose of medigel to take care of the shot wounds and waited.
A soft noise behind Shepard caught her attention and she spun around, weapon at the ready.
"It's just me, Shepard."
"Garrus! Say something next time! I almost shot you," Nick admonished, her voice shaky. Garrus sank down awkwardly next to them. She followed his gaze, looked at the lieutenant and filled Garrus in on what she had discovered. "He's knocked out cold. Looks like he'll need a new hardsuit because this armor has a few holes punched in it."
"For a moment there I thought he hadn't made it. His hardsuit signature went black." Garrus commented, keeping his eyes on her as he clicked his mandibles softly.
Nick nodded and sighed. "Yeah. Me too."
From the corner of her eye she saw a small movement and immediately afterward a low groan emanated from Kaidan as he slowly regained consciousness. She moved closer and hovered over him as he opened his eyes. Another groan followed and he tried to sit up only to sink back down again.
"Hey," Nick said quietly. "How do you feel?
"Like I've been run over by a freight train." Kaidan responded, his voice rough.
"God, Alenko, you sure had me, I mean us, worried!" Shepard let out a choked laugh. "But it wasn't a train, only a krogan."
He winced. "Just … give me a moment, Commander. I'll be up again in no time."
"No, stay put. We have time," she lay a hand on his chest, holding him down softly but firmly. She turned to the turian. "Garrus, how's the shoulder?"
"Nothing to worry about. I slapped some medigel on it." Garrus shrugged.
Nick shook her head in disbelief. "You just got shot!"
Garrus blinked. "Come on, Shepard. You'd do the same thing."
"Point taken," she conceded.
They searched the base for evidence of the missing crew of the MSV Majesty once Kaidan was feeling up to moving. Luckily they encountered no more hostiles as, despite his claims, the lieutenant was in no condition to fight. Nick cast a worried glance at him as he staggered after her. The collision with the krogan and with the wall had messed up his sense of balance. Sighing, she tried to focus on the mission.
They did not find much until they stumbled over the body of one Captain Willem.
Nick stooped and picked up a data pad. She inspected it, frowning. "Looks like we found our missing person. Goddammit, just once I would like to bring people good news!"
She turned away, heading back to the Mako where she radioed Joker demanding pick-up and telling him to inform Dr. Chakwas that she had two patients incoming.
As soon as they were back aboard the Normandy Nick turned to Kaidan and Garrus. "Go and see Dr. Chakwas as soon as you've put your weapons on the weapons bench. Both of you."
"Do I have time to change into my uniform, Shepard?" Kaidan asked.
Nick gave him a once-over. She wanted to be sure he was fine. He stood straight, his sense of balance apparently back to normal. Finally she nodded and could almost feel his relief at not being sent straight to the med bay. Garrus made his way to Chakwas while she and Kaidan changed into their BDUs.
Twenty minutes later she dismissed the team from a short debriefing. She was just about to leave the comm room when she heard Ashley call out to Garrus.
"Hey Garrus! How did two of you end up getting nailed? Were our two lovebirds too engrossed with each other? Was the LT too busy watching Skipper's ass or the other way around?"
That was it. This time Ashley had gone too far.
Kaidan hadn't left the room yet and Nick saw the color rising in his face. He hesitated a mere second but didn't say anything. That had to change. Anger surged through her veins. Clenching her fists she tried to bottle up the urge to grab the gunnery chief by her collar.
Nick spun around, her face an impassive mask as she barked, "Chief! My office - NOW!" Then she turned to Kaidan. "Lieutenant, you too!"
With that done she marched out of the comm room with the two marines following. Reaching her cabin Nick turned around. "Lieutenant, wait outside. Chief -" she gestured towards her cabin.
The bulkhead had no sooner closed when Nick turned and glared icily at Ashley. The chief stood at attention, apprehension flickering in her dark eyes. Nick walked slowly towards her until she stood in front of Ashley's nose. Despite the fact that the chief was several inches taller than her, Nick's presence filled out the room.
"Williams, if I were the hard-ass some people think I am I would have you court-martialed for your behavior today with the charges being insubordination and misuse of military equipment," Nick said coldly. She saw Ashley swallow. "You are fucking lucky, Gunnery Chief, that I am pretty damn lenient, because your behavior was out of line. I don't give a damn if you and the Lieutenant are best friends; as long as you are on duty you will respect my rank and you damn better respect his rank as well."
Ashley stood ramrod straight and Nick went on, "If I ever hear you making a comment like earlier over an open channel or like just now in the comm room again, I swear by fucking god I will not be so forgiving. OIC mast will be the least you can expect. Maybe you should consider if your lack of respect for your superiors is the reason you haven't made Operations Chief yet instead of blaming it on your name." Nick hesitated a moment before continuing. "Off the record: I don't care if you compromise my reputation or my career, but don't dare do anything to jeopardize Kaidan's career."
"Aye-aye, ma'am." Ashley sounded chastened.
Shepard gave her another hard look. "Dismissed."
Ashley saluted, executed a perfect about-face and left the cabin. Nick took a deep breath before calling in Kaidan.
He looked just as wary as Ashley, and Nick steeled herself. She had to stay in full Commander-Shepard mode and not be softened by those gorgeous puppy eyes. She let a lot slip, but Kaidan was much more lenient yet than she was. Nick was certain that he would have made Lieutenant Commander already if he were a little more assertive, both with his biotics and with his style of command.
"Staff Lieutenant," she said, emphasizing his full rank. Nick watched as he pulled himself even straighter, snapping off a perfect salute. She let him stand at attention for a few seconds before ordering him to be at ease. "Do you know why you are here, Alenko?"
"No, ma'am." He returned her gaze steadily. "I am not sure what I've done wrong."
"Then let me enlighten you." She walked around him slowly, running her eyes over his body and bit her lip. Focus, Shepard! "I don't care if Ash is one your best friends or not, but as long as you are on duty you had better remind her that you are a superior officer. You are the head of Normandy's marine detail. Act like it! If one of your marines is out of line, set them straight! You earned your stripes, don't let the others forget that." Her voice softened. "Kaidan, I am not saying that you are supposed to put their noses to the grindstone, but you are too forbearing at times."
"Aye, Commander."
"Ash was out of line today. As her immediate superior officer you should have put her in her place." Nick came to a stop in front of him. "Have I made myself clear?"
"Crystal clear, Commander."
"Good." She nodded. "Now, what did the doctor have to say about your injury?"
"A slight concussion. Nothing too serious." He gave her his typical lopsided smile. "I'm fine."
Nick caught herself smiling back as she dismissed him.
Kaidan saluted and turned to leave. She drew a breath and added, "And Kaidan, remember we haven't done anything wrong. Whatever this is between us has nothing to do with you or Garrus getting injured."
He stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder. "I know that, Shepard."
She dipped her head in acknowledgment and watched him leave. With a sigh Nick turned around and sat down at her desk to write the latest mission report. She rubbed her hands over her face, wondering if she really was as impartial as she should be. Had it been like this for her parents at some time? As long as she could remember they had never served together under the same command. But before? She truly didn't know. Maybe she should ask them?
And why am I comparing our situation with my parents? For fucks sake, there is no 'our situation', dumbass - not yet, anyway.
Nick groaned in frustration.
A/N: As always, reviews are welcome!